Another Rocket
by JayeA
Summary: Having joined Team Rocket as a young child, Ray has learned --too late-- what it's really like to be one that bears the crimson R. Ch1: A strange visitor at the Cedarville Pokemart


**Another Rocket  
**Chapter One: Ray

It was a brisk but wonderful morning in Cedarville. A portly-looking man, the storekeeper at the Cedarville Pokemart, poked his balding head out of the shop window and took a deep breath of the lovely smog. It was an overall pleasant day, he decided, if a bit chilly. The trees (green as ever, he was sure, beneath all the smoke) waved sociably in the pounding gales and the melodious squawking of Pidgeys being walloped from their perches by the cheerful wind could be heard above the sound of the oncoming storm. Only slightly frostbitten, the fat storekeeper smiled beatifically with all his five teeth as he watched the perfectly frazzled-looking bundled-up people walking indifferently past his shop. _What a wonderfully, wonderfully perfect town!_ he thought, his pudgy eyes lighting up at just the thought.

His merry thoughts were interrupted by the distinctive clanging of the back door bell. Bumbling over, he pulled it open with difficulty and gave a not-so-toothy grin to the customer behind. "Hello! Jolly good morning! How may I help you? And we do have a front door! It's over there! How are you today?"

He looked over his customer cheerfully, who seemed slightly taken aback at his sudden presence. It was a young girl, of about eleven or twelve, holding what seemed to be a long-eared ball of brown fur.

"Eh…Good morning!" she said, stuttering slightly. "Would…would you happen to be selling Super Potions?" As if in answer, her furry bundle shifted and a pair of large black eyes stared wearily into the storekeeper's face.

"Certainly! We sell all sorts of Potions," he said, directing her to Aisle 12. "But, you know, the Pokemon Center is just right over th—"

"Thank you," the girl interrupted hastily, and walked over to the aisle, ill-fitting white boots sounding noisily on the tile floor. The man shrugged and ambled back to his seat at the store counter, absentmindedly observing the customer from a distance. _Odd girl, _he thought, studying her matted orange hair and peculiar choice of clothing. An oversized red sweater was strewn over her stiff high-necked black shirt and cuffed black pants, and once-white gloves protruded from the large sleeves. "Need any help?" he tinkled blissfully from his perch.

She forced a saccharine smile. "No, no, that's all right. I have it." Bringing three Super Potions to the shop counter, she produced a ball of wadded up bills from the tattered knapsack on her shoulder.

"Will that be all?"

"Yes, that's fine. Thank you very much." She attempted to grin again as she exited hurriedly out the back door.

"Oh, wait! The front door is—" the shopkeeper started, but she had already slammed the door shut with a clang.

The shop empty again, he settled back delightfully into his seat, which threatened to fall apart under him. _What a sweet little girl,_ he reflected. _A Bit odd, but very pleasant indeed._ He gave another ghastly grin and resumed his gazing out the window, his perfect day not even slightly marred with suspicion.

Outside, the girl's forced smile quickly changed into a nervous biting of the lip. She shivered as she walked down the road, trying hard to keep from running. Painfully aware of every glance that fell her way, she quickened her pace, panting visibly. At last, when she felt she had gone far enough from the Mart, she set her Pokemon down.

"Eevee, I can't hold you anymore." She rummaged around in her knapsack, producing one of the potions. "Ya gotta walk with me."

Looking around uneasily, she hastily sprayed the Eevee with the Super Potion. "C'mon, we're gonna be late." Instantly brightened, the Eevee bounded after its trainer.

It seemed like ages before, reaching the outskirts of the city, the red-haired girl darted a worried glance about herself and ventured onto an overgrown woodland path. Her pace quickened when she saw that it was empty, and she let out a deep breath: half of apprehension and half of relief. Taking a final look around the forest, she called to her Eevee. "No one here. Hurry up now—we can run!"

She took off, and the Eevee bounded behind. Sprinting down the path at full speed, the girl pulled off the red sweater, revealing the tell-tale crimson "R" on her uniform.

She pushed the sweater into her knapsack and drew out a brimmed black cap, which she pulled over her tangled hair. The light dimmed as the darkness of the forest seemed to close in around her. As she ran, her face and features cast in shadow, it seemed that only the red "R" distinguished her from nothingness.

For what seemed like five eternities, the girl's boots tore through the cushiony forest floor. _I'm late_, she thought. _I'm definitely gonna be late now. _It was with relief that she spotted the entrance to her home. Breathing heavily, the young Rocket stopped and moved off the forest path, wading into the dense undergrowth. She paused only slightly before pulling back one of the dead bushes, revealing the well-hidden trapdoor beneath. Tugging at it, she managed to swing it creakily open. "C'mon," she called to her Pokemon, stepping in and closing the door behind her.

Inside, the girl squinted as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the underground stairwell. Stumbling down three flights as quickly as she could, the girl all but crashed into the metal door at the bottom. Still gasping for air, she knocked frantically.

With a sudden motion the door swung open and a large gloved hand reached out abruptly and yanked her roughly inside. "You're late, Grunt," growled the owner of the hand gruffly, pulling the little girl straight off the ground by her shirtfront.

She struggled in midair to release herself from his grasp. "I'm…sorry, Sir," she gasped, flailing. In the large common room, similarly dressed Rockets looked on at the scene in amusement.

The man's fierce eyes narrowed as he gave her a violent shake. His voice was dangerous. "What're you doin' out anyway, twerp? You were under strict orders to stay INSIDE!" He shook her again for show and dropped her suddenly, so that she landed in a heap on the floor. The assembled Rockets snickered as the large man gave the girl one last kick, his white Class-B uniform sharp and shining among the black uniforms of the Rocket Grunts. "And shut the door!" he barked, turning sharply on his heel.

There was a short burst of scoffing from most of the Grunts, but two of the Rockets moved toward her.

"Ray! You okay?" asked the one of them, a little boy who looked no older than nine, as he ran over to help her up.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, shoving him away. "I can get up myself, lil brat."

Pouting and muttering indignantly, the child sulked away to shut the door.Getting back up on her feet, Ray kicked her knapsack into a dark corner and brushed herself off bitterly, not looking the second boy in the eye. The dark-haired Rocket glared sternly but impassively at her, black eyes glinting beneath the shadow of his cap. She didn't need to look at him to know who he was. Gritting her teeth together, she spoke through clenched jaws. "Whaddya want, Leon?"

The tall Rocket crossed his arms in one smooth and calculated motion, shifting his weight slightly onto one leg. "What I want." He spoke with articulate and measured care, but, like his face, the young Grunt's voice seemed devoid of expression. "I want to know why you keep asking for trouble."

She scowled back. "What's it to you what I do? You in charge of me?"

His remained motionless, but the black eyes narrowed. "Here, everyone should be in charge of himself, Ray. One renegade Rocket," at this his look became pointed, "might end up bringing down the entire system."

Ray flared up in resentment_. One renegade Rocket_…Who did that Leon think he was? Just because he was a few years older than her he seemed to believe that it was his responsibility to continually put her in her place. She bit into her lip and resisted the urge to wallop him in the face. She doubted he would move if she did, anyway.

He went on. "Not only did you deliberately violate the rules by leaving the base, but you were five minutes late for the meeting, and completely missed the instructions. Granted, you're a novice, but it's still inexcusable."

It was just too much. Ray turned sharply to face him. "Ya know what, jerk? You'd never get it," she spat heatedly. "You with all your strong Pokemon, and links to the hospital ward…" The first hint of tears stung at her eyes as her earlier humiliation seemed to explode over her. She turned away again so he couldn't see. "They wore Eevee out last night with all that running," she said bitterly. "He's not strong enough for that kinda hard training!" The Pokemon looked quizzically up at its trainer and nuzzled against her leg. She picked him up and looked at him with a trace of worry. "And the ward treats us Grunts like trash. They wouldn't give me a single berry."

Leon still didn't move, but his eyes wandered involuntarily to the Eevee. "Why isn't that thing in its Pokeball?" he asked. Ray's face flushed as she muttered something incomprehensible. The familiarly condescending look returned to his eyes and he gave a contemptuous half-smile. "It won't stay in, will it?" Ray's face flushed even brighter.

"I expected so much," Leon said softly, suppressing his smile and turning to the Rocket boy who was returning from shutting the door. "Andrew? See to it that Ray hears the instructions she missed at today's meeting. And _you,_" he said turning back to Ray, "see to it that you're not late again." With that said, he strode off, arms held firmly at his side.

Ray burned with humiliation as she watched him walk away. "_Go and die_," she hissed furiously as the held-back tears traced their way slowly down her face.

((writer's notes: I wrote thiskind of a while ago, and when I went back to read it.....x.x It's actually quite....bad. :D Tip for future reference: NEVER make your MC's main Pokemon something as stereotypical as an Eevee. And if you do.....at least don't make it one of those refusing-to-stay-in-ball ones. Argh....it may be too late to fix that...

I know I asked a few people to review this because I was curious about what their reactions would be. Please accept my apologies for wasting your time, and sorry if it hurt your brain. D))


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